Customize an open source HAL for your home

THE ULTIMATE DIY AI – Mycroft’s creators customized their device to launch a toy drone when it hears the command, “Mycroft, fly a perimeter check!”

Engineers Ryan Sipes and Joshua Montgomery wanted their makerspace in Lawrence, Kansas, to be more intuitive. So they borrowed an artificial intelligence system from other makers and used it to do simple tasks, such as controlling the lights or playing music. Then they realized they could create a better one — and sell it.

Courtesy Mycroft
Current Model Of Mycroft

After several months, eight versions, and countless 3D-printed prototypes, the team produced a completely open-source device: Mycroft. Users speak commands to the physical interface, which then controls devices like smart locks or speakers, posts to social media, and performs dozens of other tasks. An Arduino board and Raspberry Pi 2 make up the bulk of the hardware, and the team plans to release its code. As developers add their own functions, Sipes hopes the AI will grow smarter over time—just like its prototypes did.

About The Author

ENVIENTA is a next generation sharing economy model, a DIY maker movement and community-based solution package for the 21st century, which provides share of know-how, blueprints, products and resources for the members. It's a peer-to-peer open source platform cooperative, a sustainable, cost-effective, decentralized and laterally scaled socioeconomic framework. ENVIENTA is a community controlled initiative with full transparency. As part of our purpose we're operating as a registered non-profit association.

ENVIENTA is a next generation sharing economy model, a DIY maker movement and community-based solution package for the 21st century, which provides share of know-how, blueprints, products and resources for the members. It's a peer-to-peer open source platform cooperative, a sustainable, cost-effective, decentralized and laterally scaled socioeconomic framework.

ENVIENTA is a community controlled initiative with full transparency. As part of our purpose we're operating as a registered non-profit association.